


Fondness

by jadetea



Series: Together, Apart [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Gen, Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 16:59:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16937190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadetea/pseuds/jadetea
Summary: Ruby and Weiss broke whatever they had years ago, but an attack against the SDC gives them the chance to build something new.Absence makes a heart grow fonder(it lets the heart forget)To reconcile is to remember(it brings the heart regret)





	Fondness

**Author's Note:**

> In Familiarity, White Rose was basically a train wreck in slow motion. I want to smush them together again—except better this time.
> 
> (I recommend reading Familiarity before this, but it's not absolutely necessary.)

“I’m sorry, Ms. Rose, but you did not pass the fitness examination. We will have to decline your services until your results are satisfactory,” the statement was bland, and if Ruby wasn’t speaking with the employee in person, she would have assumed it was a pre-recorded message.

“What are you talking about? I nailed every test!” Ruby huffed and threw her arms in the air, “I should have qualified for at least a B-rank license!”

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. For privacy reasons, I do not have access your full exam results,” the employee replied coolly, ”Your exam report should be sent to your scroll within twenty-four hours.”

“Check again!” Ruby slammed her hands on the counter, “There’s no way I _completely_ failed the exam!”

“Ma’am, if you continue this behavior, protocol requires that I contact security,” the employee said.

Ruby growled in the back of her throat and gave the woman a final glare before turning to leave.

* * *

Despite her choice to walk instead of taking public transit, Ruby’s temper hadn't cooled when she entered her apartment. She tossed her boots aside at the entryway and left a trail of discarded clothing on her way to her bedroom. She slipped into a pair of sweatpants and loose t-shirt—if she had to stay home, she might as well be comfortable. 

Ruby returned to the living room and tossed herself onto the sofa. Her eyes continued glaring forward at the ceiling, as though the white paint had offended her. She remained that way—scowling and tense—until she heard a buzz and chirp from behind her. Ruby groaned and stood to retrieve her phone.

“Why couldn’t it have been sent while I was still at the agency?” Ruby grumbled.

It took a few moments of fumbling through her scattered clothes—she’d clean them up, eventually—but she eventually found her scroll tucked in her jacket pocket. A flashing light indicated that her scroll had, indeed, received a notification. She pulled the screen open to check.

ScrollView: New recommended video: More than a Gun? Three Configuration Weapons!

Ruby dropped her phone back on the floor and turned to walk to her bedroom.

She could take a nap while waiting.

* * *

* * *

“Ms. Schnee! Atlassian Almanac. Do you have any comments in response to the council’s most recent legislation?”

“I support the council’s initiative towards establishing equitable housing assistance for all citizens,” Weiss replied crisply, “However, the purpose of this press conference is to discuss the SDC’s newest project: the intercontinental transit rail—not my personal politics.”

A swarm of reporters raised their hands and called out questions towards the podium. Weiss gestured to allow a young Faunus reporter to speak.

“Ms. Schnee, Daily Ink. Will Atlassian taxpayers be responsible for funding transit in other kingdoms?”

“No. While the SDC is working with AtTran to build railways within Atlas, portions of the intercontinental rail in other kingdoms will be developed by the SDC, in partnership with each kingdom's government.”

The dull roar of reporters returned after Weiss’ answer, so she called on another hand.

“Thank you, Ms. Schnee. Core Magazine. Why build rails when commercial airships are readily available, and how does the SDC intend to protect its transit from Grimm?”

Soft murmurs filled the room at the man’s last question.

“Research has shown that ground transportation uses dust much more efficiently than air-based travel. These savings can be passed down to consumers, and will make long-distance travel more accessible for those who are unable to afford more expensive transportation.

“As for security, we plan for the railways to remain close to established areas as much as possible. However, in more remote areas, the rails will be equipped with defenses similar to those that protect Atlas’ borders,” Weiss replied, “Additionally, each train will have Hunter escorts. In the long term, we have plans to develop outposts along railways for security and eventual expansion.”

She gestured to another journalist. 

“Ms. Schnee, Vale Post. Since you've chosen to have this press conference in your Vale office, can we assume you plan on building here first?” 

“Yes. We will begin construction on all express lines simultaneously, but we expect the Atlas-Vale express to be finished first.”

Weiss kept her gentle, PR-friendly smile as she continued answering questions from the press. She kept a mental list of reporters who strayed to more invasive, personal questions—their agencies would receive curt missives from her secretary tomorrow. Weiss did not care what tabloids wrote, but she would not tolerate having her time wasted over gossip.

Company announcements were usually handled by the PR department, but it had somehow leaked that Weiss had personal involvement in the railway and would be present for the conference. As such, a great deal of less reputable publications had chosen to attend.

“…projections show that the development and maintenance of the intercontinental transit rail will create and sustain over 100,000 opportunities for employment.”

Which Weiss had mentioned thrice in her initial presentation, though it seemed a good portion of the press hadn't paid much attention to it. The snarky side of her wondered how any of them managed to fumble through higher education if they couldn't follow a simple slideshow.

Weiss’ publicity agent motioned off-stage for her to wrap up the conference. Weiss internally sighed in relief—she still had a meeting to attend to before she could return to the stack of reports in her office.

“On the behalf of the Schnee Dust Corporation, I would like to thank you all for your attendance,” Weiss said, “Any further inquiries can be directed towards our press—”

Weiss paused when she heard a soft, sizzling hiss—then her ears rang from a thunderous boom, and the world caught fire.

* * *

* * *

Ruby rubbed her eyes groggily and peered out the window. The sky had become cloudy—yet another thing to grumble about. She stretched as she stood from her bed, and made her way towards the kitchen.

She wasn't really in the mood to cook, but thankfully she had leftover takeout to reheat. As her noodles warmed in the microwave, Ruby walked towards her living room to retrieve her scroll. She picked up her discarded clothes on the way after nearly tripping on her jeans.

Her scroll was face up on her jacket, the indicator light blinking. Ruby shifted the clothes in her arms to one side to pick her scroll up and walked back towards her room while opening it. She clicked her tongue when the device screen flashed a battery icon at her, and tossed her clothes into her room.

The microwave beeped gently at Ruby upon her return. She pulled the box out and set it on the counter near where she plugged in her scroll.

“C’mon,” Ruby muttered as she slurped her noodles. The agency was still open for another few hours—she could still get a contract and make the last airship out if her scroll would just show her stupid exam report.

The screen continued flashing an empty battery icon, then went dark as the device buzzed. The scroll went through its usual boot sequence before Ruby was able to check her messages.

It took a few moments for her notifications to filter through as the device connected to the CCTS. She dismissed several—Yang had called a few times, and the rest were from games—until her scroll buzzed with a new message.

> To: Huntress Ruby Rose, S-rank
> 
> The final results of your physical examination for HCA re-qualification are attached to this message.
> 
> The HCA requires contractors to renew their qualification every two (2) years, or after more than six (6) months of inactivity.
> 
> HCA guidelines restrict applicants from attempting qualification until six (6) months after a failed examination. Applicants who fail to qualify after three (3) sequential examinations are barred from further attempts.
> 
> Qualification results are final, however, applicants may write an appeal to the HCA to review their case.

Ruby scrolled past the generic text until she could see her actual exam results.

> Name: Rose, Ruby  
>  Rank: S (former)  
>    
>  Skills Exam:  
>  Combat: S  
>  Survival: S  
>  Aura: B  
>  General Fitness: B

Ruby fumed. What a waste of time! She could have been halfway to her next mission if she didn’t have to wait for her full report! She continued flicking through her scroll.

> Medical Exam:  
>  Sight: Pass  
>  Hearing: Pass  
>  Psych: Not recommended  
>    
>  Remarks:  
>  -moderate damage to muscle and ligament tissue  
>  -stress fractures in both hips and left arm  
>  -indications of chronic fatigue and sleep deprivation  
>  Overall Result: Fail

A crash echoed through Ruby’s apartment as her scroll scattered into pieces against the wall.

* * *

* * *

Weiss felt a weight pressing down on her. She could feel motion around her, but everything sounded muffled—like she was buried underneath a mountain of heavy cloth.

She blinked.

She was almost correct—she was certainly buried, though instead of soft cloth, Weiss was pinned underneath rubble. Her train of thought fell back to her training—check her status, evaluate the situation, then make a plan.

Weiss attempted to move her limbs, and—thankfully—found them attached and functional. There was an unpleasant twinge in her side and she felt sore, but it seemed her aura took the brunt of whatever happened. The fuzz in her mind had lifted, so she could now hear the sounds of gunfire and general commotion.

She turned her attention to the rubble surrounding her. Her main priority was to free herself, but she didn’t want to injure herself or anyone around her in the process. The ground around her seemed to be clear, but it was hard to tell where people were in the chaos. On the bright side, she didn’t see any hostile combatants in her immediate area, which gave her time to collect herself.

By this point, Weiss remembered what happened. She heard the tell-tale hiss of a dust dispersal bomb, but only managed a small glyph before its detonator was triggered. It wouldn’t have mattered anyways—the level of damage to the stage indicated multiple explosive charges. Beyond the crackle of flames, she heard muffled gunfire—perhaps some members of the security team were still fighting.

Overall, the circumstances weren’t great, but they certainly could be much worse. Weiss had straightforward goals: free herself and any civilians and get them all to safety. She hadn’t been a Huntress for years, but she still regularly trained her Semblance—her pride as a true Schnee.

Weiss used a glyph to gently lift the rubble off of herself and began her escape.

* * *

* * *

> Evaluator Remarks: 
> 
> Huntress Rose, 
> 
> In spite of your superb performance on the practical exam, the HCA cannot renew your Huntress license due to the results of your medical examination.
> 
> These circumstances require the HCA to impose a mandatory leave for a minimum of six (6) months.
> 
> My recommendation to the HCA is to impose a leave period of one (1) year, or less with a satisfactory physical and psychological exam result. 
> 
> Pearl Oakwood  
>  Hunter Contract Agency  
>  Director of Hunter Resources

Ruby reluctantly scrolled through the rest of the report on her newly purchased scroll. She had gone to the shop and back in a daze, her mind still processing an entire year of forced leave.

She dropped her phone onto her belly and stretched out on her couch with a yawn. Her form slumped and sunk into the cushions again with her hands on her face.

She’d been put on medical leave before, but never for so long—Hunters healed quickly, and it was expected for even the most grievous of injuries to heal with a few months. Anything beyond that was usually career-ending.

Or fatal.

Ruby rubbed her face and sat up. Thankfully, she didn't have to worry about her finances. As a top tier huntress, she made good money—especially considering how often she took contracts—and lived rather frugally.

Her savings could carry her through unemployment, and she vaguely recalled some sort of stipend she now qualified for anyways. Her main concern was what to do with all this time.

In the past, she could've taken private contracts instead of going through an agency, but Hunter contracts became more strictly regulated a few years ago. All Hunting contracts now had to be approved and assigned through the HCA, and there were severe penalties for taking or providing outside contracts.

Ruby scoffed.

The legislation to create the HCA just happened to gain traction in the council during her last “extended leave”. The council was at a deadlock with the idea for years, but Ruby supposed it only took a few Schnee lobbyists to tip the scales.

She wasn't bitter. Not at all.

Ruby continued frowning at the screen, until she nearly dropped it when a barrage of messages popped up.

  
Yang: RUBY  
Yang: RUBY PICK UP  
Yang: I'm not calling to nag you this is serious  
Yang: PICK UP YOUR SCROLL  
Yang: the news is saying an SDC press conference was blown up in Vale  
Yang: Weiss told me and Blake she was coming to town this week and I’m pretty sure she was there  
Yang: The news isn't saying anything about her though  
Yang: Blake and I finished our contract but we’re stuck in Menag  
Yang: Goddammit Ruby pick up your scroll  
Yang: If you see these go check on Weiss, please  
Yang: Call me!!!

The next dozen messages were variations of “Pick up your scroll”, “Ruby”, and “Call me!” from Yang, and a few from Blake as well.

Ruby face palmed—she needed to buy sturdier scrolls…or maybe stop breaking them. A quick search on the CCT network brought up plenty of articles on the explosion. Ruby skimmed through a few links, but it seemed like the media didn't quite know what was happening.

Ruby kept searching—someone had to at least know who was blowing things up. A few links later brought her to a live feed of a reporter on site.

“…the main office here in Vale,” the reporter said, “Authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of any hostages that remain inside.”

Ruby could see smoke billowing behind the reporter, though it was rather distant. In the background, she saw police enforcing a rather wide perimeter to keep the media out of danger.

“It seems that a human supremacist group, the Revivalists, has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack at the SDC Vale headquarters,” the reporter focused on her earpiece, “…they also claim to have custody of Weiss Schnee, current CEO of the Schnee Dust Company.”

Ruby clenched her fist. She switched the scroll off and glared at the floor, shaking with a mix of frustration and rage.  
Yang and Blake would never forgive her if Ruby didn't at least try to help. Regardless of their history, Ruby knew she wouldn't forgive herself either.

Well, she already prepared her gear for a hunt. 

She just had different monsters to deal with now.

* * *

* * *

Weiss carefully slipped out from under the rubble towards the corner of (what once was) the stage. A quick glance showed some damage to the auditorium, but it was clear that the focus of the blast was on the stage.

It was difficult to tell if any civilians were pinned underneath the nearby wreckage. The press seating was clear, though Weiss saw a few trails of blood leading out of the room.

Weiss started slowly moving the rubble around her, but froze when she heard shouting.

“Find that furry loving bitch!” a male voice called out.

Weiss took cover—it seemed her security team had been subdued. She kept her eyes on the main entrance as heavy boot steps approached, and silently cursed when she saw a pair of armed figures enter.

Revivalists.

The group all wore domed helmets to demonstrate their lack of Faunus attributes. Frankly, Weiss found the helmets tacky and useless, since Faunus could wear them—albeit uncomfortably—and they barely covered the head. Weiss noticed of the men only wore cloth caps. Cloth! A _bicycle_ helmet gave better protection.

Poor attire choices aside, Weiss still had to deal with 5 men—without her weapon—before they could alert any backup. She doubted any of the firearms they carried could pierce her aura, but the noise would draw attention.

One of the Revivalists—the one who shouted earlier—had an ornate helmet and stood by the exit while the others searched through the rubble. He was the only one with radio attached to his belt.

Her target established, Weiss shifted into a sprinter’s stance. She summoned a speed glyph below herself before dashing towards the exit. She pointed a hand behind herself to raise a wall of ice, barricading most of the men inside. It only took a single leg sweep for Weiss to knock her down. She flicked his helmet off as he fell—it would be demoralizing for him and satisfy a petty impulse for her.

Weiss quickly relieved the man of his weapon and radio, then froze him to the floor. She quickly escaped—the other men had been trying to break through her wall by shooting.

“Weiss Schnee.” A voice echoed around her—from the PA speakers and the radio she had stolen.

Weiss swore, then ducked into a supply closet. She held the radio closer to her ear, afraid to risk increasing the volume.

“I have the filthy vermin you brought here. Surrender yourself, or one of these beasts die every 10 minutes.”

There was a thud, then the sound of sobbing.

“This bitch is first. Tick. Tock.”

**Author's Note:**

> Uh… hi?  
> Life tl;dr: Depression sucks, 0/10 do not recommend. It's like going to jail every time you pass go instead of getting $200. 
> 
> I'm hoping to finish this fic (relatively) quickly. It's not going to be super long, maybe between 10-15 chapters. No guarantees on update speed.


End file.
